Trumping Up Our Trains

Trumping Up Our Trains

Every time the train derails, my mother begs me to stay put. But how can I? Along the densely populated eastern seaboard, your life is structured around transport. Not everyone can live in New York City or Washington D.C., so millions of people who work there commute...
Trump’s War on Urban ‘Carnage’ Was a Ruse

Trump’s War on Urban ‘Carnage’ Was a Ruse

One of President Trump’s favorite themes is what he calls “American carnage” — typified by “the violence” and “the gangs.” To that end, he’s repeatedly highlighted the violence in Chicago. A few days after he was inaugurated,...
The End of an Alliance for Police Reform

The End of an Alliance for Police Reform

In July 2016, then-Attorney General Loretta Lynch committed the Department of Justice to investigating the shooting of Alton Sterling, a black man who was murdered by police outside a convenience store in Baton Rouge. The move represented the deepening of a tangible...
A Yellow-Brick Road for Immigrant Women

A Yellow-Brick Road for Immigrant Women

The Wizard of Oz was one of my favorite movies as kid growing up in Trinidad. I liked thinking that a magical storm could take you somewhere new, where you could meet fun new friends and even take your pet dog along. Heck, even a new pair of shiny red shoes awaited...
Horse Racing’s Shame — And Ours

Horse Racing’s Shame — And Ours

One horse was already dead as Pramedya saddled up for the fourth undercard race of the 2016 Preakness Stakes, an annual Triple Crown race held in Baltimore. Unlike Homeboykris, who died of apparent heart failure after winning the first contest of the day, she wouldn’t...